10 Email Marketing Mistakes That Can Jeopardize Conversions

Introduction

Despite email marketing's proven high Return on Investment (ROI), many marketers still are of the opinion that email marketing is passé. However, their lack of engagement, conversions, and results likely stem from certain errors email marketers can make.

1. Not Sending a Welcome Email

When someone clicks to subscribe to your list, the new subscriber should immediately receive a welcome email. This email should tell more about your brand and explain what's to be expected from joining your list. It's the first step in establishing a relationship between you and your audience.

If you haven't set up automatic welcome replies that send the second a subscriber opts in, you're missing an opportunity for great results. Welcome emails have higher open and click-through rates than regular marketing emails. To ensure interest, make sure your email is designed to be unique to your brand, fun, and engaging.

2. Content That is Too Generic

If you're sending out impersonal emails with a computer-generated appearance, this lack of personal touch could negatively affect your campaign open and response rates.

For best results, engage with your audience and let them participate in your message. Begin by using their first name in the subject line to make your readers feel you are writing them directly. This will make the email more personalized and less like a sales pitch.

3. Generic or Bland Subject Lines

If your subject line doesn't grab a subscriber's attention, it won't get opened and read. And if the subject line sounds like a spam subject line, it could end up in your subscriber's spam mailbox.

So how do you write a great subject line so recipients will open and read the email contents? Make your subject line brief and concise, with no more than six to eight words. Although desktops can display about 60 characters of a subject line, mobile devices can only show about half of this.

4. No Calls to Action (CTAs)

CTAs are vital to your marketing strategy. Your audience needs to be shown the next steps to take, whether that is downloading offered content or opting in as a subscriber. With no CTA, your audience must figure out what to do next, which might result in exiting your message.

So what is an engaging, clickable CTA? One that stands out with bright colors, big buttons, and strong text. The CTA should be strategically positioned to invite interaction. Your CTA button should display direct commands, such as "Download Now," "Read More," or "Buy Now."

5. No Mobile Optimization

Don't forget about your mobile audience. With billions of mobile users worldwide, up to 70% of all emails are viewed from a mobile. If you aren't optimizing for mobile, you're losing potential customers and revenue.

To customize your email for mobile screens, use images and text that are easy to see and read. Images should be less than 600 pixels in width. Keep in mind your limited space. Make your mobile CTA buttons noticeable with large buttons and vivid colors. Be sure to do A/B testing on multiple devices and screen sizes before sending out your emails.

6. Emails That Are Just Another Sales Pitch

If you are on several email subscription lists, some emails you receive might seem the same. Other emails might grab your attention to open and read their messages. It requires strong effort not to sound like you're trying to push sales. Instead, avoid sales cliches. Focus your email on your reader, not just sales. Remind your audience of the great benefits your product or service will bring them.

7. Unprofessional Design and Text

If your emails and website look unsafe or non-professional, your readers will be too skeptical for conversions. You'll even be lucky if they remain subscribers. Use professional language, avoid using common stock images, and avoid attachments. Make sure your copy has been proofed for spelling and grammar errors. Check to ensure there are no incorrect dates, wrong prices, or broken links.

8. Failing to Meet Audience Expectations

Your audience will unsubscribe if your emails don't meet their expectations, no matter how great your copy is. If your email frequency is too often or less frequent than what you promised, you won't be meeting your subscribers' expectations.

Not staying on your newsletter topic is another way to miss fulfilling your audience's expectations. For example, if your subscribers signed up to receive tips on blogging, keep your topic on blogging tips. If you wander too far away from the topic, your audience will leave.

9. Not Prioritizing Email Signup on Website

Placing email opt-ins on your website in eye-catching locations will boost your signups. Offering valuable incentives that your visitors can't refuse will encourage them further to sign up for your mailings.

10. Non-Compliance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

In 2018 GDPR came into effect in the EU, changing email marketing methods worldwide. It's illegal under GDPR for businesses worldwide to send emails to EU recipients who haven't opted in to receive these communications. In addition, all emails must include an easy-to-locate "unsubscribe" option for subscribers to opt-out at any time. Even if your business isn't targeted to EU residents, your website and emails can be viewed by anyone worldwide.

Conclusion

Email marketing is more than sending emails from an email list. For conversions, you must implement the right strategies for your email campaigns and be aware of these avoidable pitfalls.